1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle mirror assembly which is provided at a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional vehicle door mirror device is provided with a mirror. By disposing the mirror at an extended position, a region at the rear of the vehicle can be viewed. When the mirror is rotated in one direction from the extended position, it is moved to a retracted position. When the mirror is rotated in another direction from the extended position, it is moved to a forwardly retracted position. A bracket is provided at the vehicle front side of the mirror, and a holding portion is provided at the vehicle rear side surface of the bracket. Due to the holding portion holding the mirror, the bracket holds the mirror at the vehicle rear side.
A case portion which forms a retracting mechanism is provided at the bracket, and a stand which forms the retracting mechanism is fixed to the vehicle door. The case portion is supported at the stand so as to be freely rotatable. Further, the case portion is urged toward the stand. Here, when the case portion is rotated with respect to the stand by the retracting mechanism, the mirror is rotated in one direction or another direction.
A case hill is provided at the case portion. The case hill projects towards the stand. On the other hand, a stand valley is provided at the stand. Both end portions of the stand valley project toward the case portion. Here, when the mirror is rotated from the retracted position in the other direction by the retracting mechanism, the case hill abuts one end portion of the stand valley, such that the mirror is stopped at the extended position. On the other hand, when the mirror is rotated from the extended position in the one direction by the retracting mechanism, the case hill abuts the other end portion of the stand valley, such that the mirror is stopped at the retracted position.
When the case portion receives an external force which is of a predetemined value or greater and the case hill rides up on one end portion of the stand valley, rotation of the mirror toward a forwardly retracted position is permitted. Here, a case projection is provided at the case portion. The case projection projects toward the stand. On the other hand, a stand projection is provided at the stand. The stand projection projects toward the case portion. Therefore, when the mirror is rotated toward the forwardly retracted position, the case projection abuts the stand projection such that the mirror is stopped at the forwardly retracted position.
Moreover, this vehicle door mirror device is applicable to four types of aspects which are: for a right side of a vehicle in which the steering wheel is disposed at the right side (hereinafter, xe2x80x9cright-handle vehiclexe2x80x9d); for a left side of a right-handle vehicle; for the right side of a vehicle in which the steering wheel is disposed at the left side (hereinafter, xe2x80x9cleft-handle vehiclexe2x80x9d); and for the left side of left-handle vehicle.
However, in such a vehicle door mirror device, the case portion is integral with the bracket, and the holding portion can only be provided at the vehicle rear side surface of the bracket. Accordingly, for example, even if an attempt is made to xe2x80x9cflipxe2x80x9d (reverse) the left and right of a case portion for a vehicle right side so that it can also be used as a case portion for a vehicle left side, when the left and right sides of the case portion for the vehicle right side are reversed, the left and right sides of the bracket are also reversed integrally therewith. As a result, when a bracket for a vehicle right side is used as a bracket for a vehicle left side, the holding portion cannot be set at the vehicle rear side surface of the bracket. Accordingly, the bracket cannot hold the mirror at the vehicle rear side. In this way, a case portion for a vehicle right side cannot also be used as a case portion for a vehicle left side.
Further, the angle of rotation at the time when the mirror rotates between the extended position and the retracted position (hereinafter, the xe2x80x9cretraction anglexe2x80x9d) and the angle of rotation when the mirror rotates between the extended position and the forwardly retracted position (hereinafter, the xe2x80x9cforward retraction anglexe2x80x9d) are different for a mirror for a right side of right-handle vehicle and a mirror for a right side of a left-handle vehicle, and are different for a mirror for a left side of right-handle vehicle and a mirror for a left side of a left-handle vehicle. On the other hand, the positions at which the stand valley and the stand projection are disposed at the stand are the same for a stand for a right side of right-handle vehicle and a stand for a right side of a left-handle vehicle, and are the same for a stand for a left side of a right-handle vehicle and a stand for a left side of left-handle vehicle. Namely, there are only two different types of stands. As a result, there is the need to make the positions at which the case valley and the case projection are disposed different for the case portion for the right side of a right-handle vehicle and the case portion for the right side of a left-handle vehicle, and different for the case portion for the left side of a right handle vehicle and the case portion for the left side of a left-handle vehicle. Accordingly, the same case portion cannot be used in common for the case portion for the right side of a right-handle vehicle and the case portion for the right side of a left-handle vehicle, nor can the same case portion be used in common for the case portion for the left side of a right-handle vehicle and the case portion for the left side of a left-handle vehicle.
In this way, the same part cannot be commonly used for the case portion for the vehicle right side and the case portion for the vehicle left side. Similarly, the same part cannot be commonly used for the case portion for the right side of a right-handle vehicle and the case portion for the right side of a left-handle vehicle. Moreover, the same part cannot be commonly used for the case portion for the left side of a right-handle vehicle and the case portion for the left side of a left-handle vehicle. Thus, there is the need to manufacture a part to be used exclusively as each of the case portion for the right side of a right-handle vehicle, the case portion for the left side of a right-handle vehicle, the case portion for the right side of a left-handle vehicle and the case portion for the left side of a left-handle vehicle. As a result, there is the need to assemble, in an appropriate combination, one of the two types of stands and one of the four types of case portions. In this way, there are problems in that the work for assembling the case portion to the stand becomes complex (mistakes in assembling the case portion to the stand easily arise), and the assemblability of the retracting mechanism is poor.
In view of the aforementioned drawbacks, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle mirror assembly in which assemblability of a retracting mechanism is improved.
In order to overcome the above-described problems, a case member, relating to the present invention, which can be used in a vehicle mirror assembly including a mirror and a frame holding the mirror, comprises: a first mounting element, provided at one side of the case member, for mounting the case member to the frame; a second mounting element provided at another side of the case member; and a neutral plane positioned substantially intermediately of the one side and the other side of the case member, wherein the first and second mounting elements are substantially symmetrical with respect to the neutral plane.
In a vehicle mirror assembly relating to the present invention which includes a mirror and a bracket which holds the mirror, the bracket is formed by a frame for holding a mirror, and a case member mounted to the frame; the case member includes a first mounting element, provided at one side of the case member, for mounting the case member to the frame, a second mounting element provided at another side of the case member, and a neutral plane positioned substantially intermediately of the one side and the other side of the case member; and the first and second mounting elements are substantially symmetrical with respect to the neutral plane.
In a vehicle relating to the present invention which is equipped, at both sides of the vehicle, with a rear view mirror assembly, each mirror assembly includes a mirror and a bracket which holds the mirror, each bracket is formed by a frame for holding the mirror, and a case member mounted to the frame; and both case members are substantially the same.